Worth the stakeout: Shakespeare in the Park tickets

I’m the worst at mornings, but I’ll always make an exception for Shakespeare in the Park. The summer tradition continues this year with “Much Ado About Nothing” (May 21-June 23) and “Coriolanus” (July 16-August 11). However, like most classic New York experiences, snagging the free tickets requires putting in some work. Aside from the free ticket distributions in Brooklyn on June 6, 8, 14 and 18 (details here), The Public Theater starts doling them out at Central Park’s Delacorte Theater at noon on show days, but don’t think you can stroll up at 11:45. Get there early, especially if it’s the weekend, and be ready to camp out. My friends and I generally aim for 8am and make a day of it. We bring blankets and snacks, along with card games like Codenames and Cards Against Humanity, since tiny pieces are easy to lose in the rush to pack up. When you finally make it to the box office, you’re entitled to two tickets, so theoretically, only half your group needs to join the stakeout. But where’s the fun in that?